Tuesday, October 14, 2025

Black Men Trapped on Streets

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Homelessness Surveys Trap Black Men on the Streets

LAS VEGAS

Maurice Clark huddled in his tent along dusty railroad tracks as two homeless-outreach workers began asking him questions to determine whether he would qualify for free or subsidized housing.

Did he use drugs? Had he ever been in jail? How many times had he been to an emergency room? Had he been attacked on the streets? Tried to harm himself? Engaged in sex for money?

Clark didn’t feel comfortable being honest with the two surveyors he’d never met before, who were flanked by police officers as they recorded his responses from a questionnaire on a tablet.

“I’ve done some crazy things to survive, but I’m, like, I’m going to say no because there’s these officers right there,” he said, recalling the encounter on a fall afternoon outside his tent.

“I’m a Black man in America, so asking this stuff hits a little bit different.”

National Homelessness Experts and Local Leaders Say

Such personal questions exacerbate racial disparities in the ranks of the nation’s unhoused, particularly as more people experiencing homelessness compete for scarce taxpayer-subsidized housing amid a deepening affordability crisis.

Vulnerability Questionnaires

National homelessness experts and local leaders say that vulnerability questionnaires were created to determine how likely a person is to get sick and die while homeless, and the system has been adopted widely around the country over the past decade to help prioritize who gets housing. The more a homeless person is perceived to be vulnerable, the more points they score on the questionnaire and the higher they move in the housing queue. The surveys are being singled out for worsening racial disparities by systematically placing homeless white people at the front of the line, ahead of their Black peers — partly because the scoring awards more points for using health care, and relies on trust in the system, both of which favor white people.

Why It Matters

Black people make up 13.7% of the overall U.S. population yet account for 32.2% of the nation’s homeless population. White people, including some people of Hispanic descent, make up 75% of the country and represent 55% of America’s homeless.

Problematic Scoring System

White people are more likely to gain housing because they tend to score more points on vulnerability assessments that rank sickness higher, including histories of chronic disease, addiction, mental illness, and emergency room visits and hospitalizations, according to national surveys. Black people, meanwhile, are less likely to have health insurance or medical diagnoses and to reveal their ailments, and are more mistrustful due to biases in the health care system.

Changing the System

Some experts argue it’s time to toss the vulnerability assessment altogether and look not only at health and social needs but also systemic racism, poverty, involvement in the criminal justice system, barriers to housing, and other economic drivers that influence, and in some cases cause, homelessness.

Cities and Counties Revamping their Systems

Some U.S. communities are revamping their vulnerability assessment systems to reduce racial disparities and help more Black people get housing. In Los Angeles, officials are launching an effort to use artificial intelligence to better assess whether someone should be prioritized for placement, in part by looking at overpolicing of Black people and discrimination in health care. In Las Vegas, officials are revamping their vulnerability assessment to give higher scores for systemic problems including incarceration. In Austin, Texas, officials are testing a system to account for people displaced by gentrification.

Consequences of Current System

Homeless Black people are more likely to be forced to compete for a limited supply of affordable housing, and may not have the same access to resources and opportunities as homeless white people. John Harris, who has been sleeping under a bridge on a recent October afternoon, said he has taken the questionnaire twice. It led nowhere. “They asked me, have I been incarcerated? And I said yes. I’ve been to prison too many times. And I have mental health struggles,” he said.

Conclusion

The current vulnerability assessment system exacerbates racial disparities in the homelessness crisis, leaving Black people struggling to access resources and opportunities. It is imperative that communities prioritize addressing systemic racism, poverty, and other economic drivers that influence homelessness, rather than relying solely on a flawed assessment tool. By revamping their systems to account for these factors, communities can work towards a more equitable and effective response to homelessness.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why are homelessness surveys problematic for Black men?

A: The surveys ask questions that are traumatic and stigmatizing, such as drug use and criminal activity, which can be triggering and may not be accurately reported due to mistrust of the system.

Q: Why do homeless Black people face more barriers to housing?

A: Homeless Black people may face more systemic barriers to housing, including limited access to health care, mistrust of the system, and a lack of affordable housing options.

Q: What can communities do to improve the system?

A: Communities can revamp their vulnerability assessments to account for systemic racism, poverty, and other economic drivers that influence homelessness. They can also prioritize addressing the root causes of homelessness, such as poverty and lack of affordable housing.

Q: Will changing the system solve the homelessness crisis?

A: Changing the system is just one step towards addressing the homelessness crisis. It is also essential to address the root causes of homelessness, including poverty, lack of affordable housing, and systemic racism.

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